Treehouse of Horror-The Raven

﻿Review by Robert Canning

The first "Treehouse of Horror" (originally called "The Simpsons Halloween Special") was an early sign that this was not your ordinary animated primetime television series. Breaking away from form, the first "Treehouse" told three separate, stand-alone tales of the macabre that would become the template for the 19 specials to follow. Marge's warning at the top of the episode describes the show as "inappropriate" and "really scary," but looking back, these segments are quite tame compared to the many that would follow. Still, the episode has withstood the test of time far better than "The Simpsons Christmas Special."

Tying the segments together is the fact that Bart and Lisa are telling each other stories in an attempt to frighten the other...